ER UGGH question-help
6mm is just under 1/4 of an inch
7mm is just over 1/4 of an inch
So figure - about 1/4 of inch
Doesn't seem like much - but when passing down those tiny kidney tubes to your bladder - it's a big thing as you found out!
Pam
Hi Geri, below is my escapade at 8 months out. It makes for some interesting reading but it was no fun, at all. The original text is on my profile page. Below that is an update. I've remained stone-free since the incident. I'm due to see my urologist for my latest kidney stone disease analysis but I'm doing fine with it. Apparently I'm a support group leader with loads to share. It's a lot that follows but it's complete. Read on.
Dennis
12/24/05 - I work in NYC and was staying over due to the transit strike. My company put me up at a hotel up the block from the job. Thur. morning at 4:30A I was woken up by a pain coming from my lower right side (the kidney area). The pain was unbearable. I got up and walked around hoping it would subside, but it didn't. I started to get nauseous and was vomiting, but I had nothing to vomit but saliva. I called home to make the family aware of my condition. They called my job to send me assistance. In minutes hotel employees and my co-workers where there to help me. They called for an ambulance and I was taken to St. Vincent's Midtown Hospital, just a few blocks away. My colleague Greg rode to the hospital with me and stayed until I was stable. He kept my family informed of everything. I was in the ER and under extreme pain. I was moaning and groaning and turning pale. They processed me quickly and got me a bed. They gave me a painkiller which worked after 10 min. They took 2 vials of blood and some urine. My urine was brown like maple syrup.They gave me a CT scan and discovered a kidney stone in my urinary tract near my right kidney. It was small enough for me to pass it on my own but when my pain continued to return they decided to admit me and scheduled me for surgery Fri. If I was able to pass it Thurs. I would be discharged but if not I would go through the surgery and be discharged sometime after. I didn't pass the stone so I went through the surgery Fri. at 12:14P. They numbed me via spinal injections and used a scope w/camera and light inserted in the urethra and traveled along my urinary tract. I was awake for the whole procedure and saw it on a TV monitor with the surgeon and staff. Dr. Alec Schwartz showed me the stone which he lasered to make it smaller and more round. He also installed a stent to expand the urinary tract near the stone. I was in recovery by 1:48P. Everything went well and it took about 3 hours for my legs to come back. I was fitted with a catheter to collect my urine since I had no feeling or control down there. I was released at 6P on Fri. night and returned home to the Poconos. My boss arranged for car service to get me home. I slept well last night although I had to get up often to empty the urine bag, but I slept with no pain. Today I removed the catheter and will attempt to urinate on my own and eventually retrieve that stone which is still inside. I want to have it analyzed to determine it's composition and see if I need to tweak my diet and protein intake. I'll have the stent removed sometime next week. I want to thank everyone who got me through this, my co-workers at CBS, the entire staff at St. Vincent's Midtown Hospital, in particular urologist Dr. Alec Schwartz and my family and friends. It was a rough time for a few days, but I survived with alot of help from so many people who care about me. I have so much to be thankful for this year. Merry Christmas everyone!
5/18/06
Hello Everyone,
Many of you may recall my kidney stone attack last December (12/24/05) just before Christmas. It was not a gift I was expecting and I wouldn't wi**** on anyone. That pain will not be forgotten, but I was well taken care of and I recovered and today I'm doing fine. I saw my urologist a few weeks ago to review the results of a kidney stone disease test to determine my abiity to produce these troublesome critters. The stone that was retrieved back in December was of the calcium oxalate variety. For the test done back in April I had 2 - 24 hour urine collections followed by a blood draw collected soon after the 2nd urine collection was completed. A small sample from each urine collection along with a vial of blood is air-expressed to the Litholink Lab in Chicago. In a few weeks the results are sent to your Dr. From these results my Dr. believes my stone formed in part due to my high meat protein (80 g)and and perhaps my normal calcium (1200mg) intake. Some studies dispute calcium intake as a cause although calcium from food is best as opposed to supplements.
He's suggesting a few changes:
1. Seek the bulk of your protein needs from other than animal meats.
2. Reduce your calcium intake slightly to 1000 mg daily but get it from food sources instead of supplements. 1200 mg is the normal daily intake for everybody, not just gastric-bypass patients. As mentioned before some studies on the subject believe keeping your calcium normal is best while also reducing animal protein and sodium intake. Here's a link http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?id=42752
3. Reduce sodium intake, my bloodwork indicated mine was high. The body releases sodium it doesn't need (excess) into the kidneys and urine.
4. Increase water intake, meaning well over and above the 64 oz. daily.
5. Avoid caffeine or compensate with even more water intake.
6. Begin a Low Oxalate Meal Plan. Here's a link http://patienteducation.upmc.com/Pdf/LowOxalateDiet.pdf, I have to admit some of the high oxalate foods are favorites, but I'll have to change that.
I'm passing all of this along to keep you all informed, not to scare you into adjusting your respective meal regimens'. If you have a concern please do see your PCP, urologist or surgeon. I'm 50 years old and this was my first stone. It may be my only stone, but after that painful experience I will make some adjustments to help prevent another possible occurence, but please don't look at this as a gastric-bypass thing, I can't say that it is. Just do what we're taught to do, research and find out what it may mean for you, and I hope it's not a concern for any of you at all.
Dennis
